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BUSINESS
Aug 21, 2001

Misfortunes in tough times spur new breed of insurance plans

In May, Yamagata University disclosed that it had bungled its entrance exam grading, irretrievably altering the course of applicants' lives.
BUSINESS
Aug 21, 2001

Nearly half of households own minicars: report

At the end of March, roughly every 2.4 households in Japan owned a minicar, the Japan Mini Vehicles Association said Monday.
BUSINESS
Aug 21, 2001

Cooperation in education key to poverty reduction

UNESCO chief Koichiro Matsuura is convening an unprecedented meeting of government leaders from 30 major industrialized and developing countries in autumn to discuss the promotion of primary education in the fight against poverty, according to Japanese government sources.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

Japan hopes to improve ties through intellectual exchanges

In a bid to put Japan's often stormy relations with China and South Korea on a more stable footing over the long term, the government is embarking on a multimillion-yen program to promote friendship and mutual understanding among the three Asian neighbors.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

Koizumi lodges protest with Russia over fishing

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi lodged a protest Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin for granting fishing rights to third countries in waters around disputed islands off Hokkaido, claiming Moscow has ignored Japan's repeated requests not to allow fishing in the area.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

Europe's help sought for hooligans

The National Police Agency has asked European police to help deal with soccer hooligans at next year's World Cup finals, agency officials said Monday.
Events
Aug 21, 2001

Electronics firms wage battle of the rays

KYOTO -- Kyoto-based Rohm Corp., one of Japan's largest makers of electronic components, is locked in a legal wrangle with Nichia Corp. of Anan, Tokushima Prefecture, over patents related to blue light-emitting diodes and blue lasers.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

Sewage access up but still low at 62%

Sixty-two percent of the population had access to public sewage facilities in fiscal 2000 through March, up 2 percent from the previous year, the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry said Monday.
COMMENTARY
Aug 21, 2001

Koizumi's unfinished business

HONOLULU -- Last week was rough for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The last thing he wants to do now is revisit the Yasukuni Shrine question, but there is unfinished business that he must attend to.
Events
Aug 21, 2001

Kansai airport ignoring feasibility concerns

OSAKA -- As Kansai International Airport approaches its seventh birthday Sept. 4, a number of serious problems are casting clouds over the occasion.
BUSINESS / TAKING STOCK
Aug 21, 2001

Credit-easing steps by BOJ give light relief

The Tokyo stock market staged a strong rebound earlier last week, reacting positively to the Bank of Japan's decision to further ease its grip on credit.
LIFE / Travel / NATURE TRAVEL
Aug 21, 2001

The diamond town that time forgot

Morning dawns on Luderitz, but you'd barely notice. A dense bank of sea fog has rolled in overnight, and the small German colonial town near the southern tip of Namibia is lost; a place of shadows, half-glimpsed Gothic churches, haunted-house mansions and the ghostly glimmer of muted lights.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

Big typhoon sets sights on western Japan coast

Typhoon Pabuk, a massive, powerful storm system, is moving northward in the Pacific Ocean south of the Japanese archipelago and may directly hit western Japan this evening or early Wednesday, the Meteorological Agency said Monday.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

Actor Ishida held over cannabis

OSAKA -- The health ministry arrested actor and singer Issei Ishida, 26, in Osaka on Monday on suspicion of possessing 2 grams of cannabis resin.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

Sugiura was reprimanded: Tanaka

Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka said Monday she severely reprimanded Seiken Sugiura, senior vice foreign minister, last week for earlier agreeing to conceal a diplomatic scandal.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

Discretionary fund faces 40% cut

Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka said Monday that her ministry is ready to cut the size of its so-called discretionary diplomatic funds by 30 percent to 40 percent next fiscal year in response to a series of money scandals involving diplomats.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

Sankei Shimbun cuts newsstand price

The Sankei Shimbun said Monday that it will cut the newsstand price of the morning editions of its daily newspaper to 100 yen from the current 110 yen, starting Sept. 1.
BUSINESS
Aug 21, 2001

Fujitsu to cut 16,400 jobs worldwide

Fujitsu Ltd. announced Monday it will cut its global workforce by 9 percent, or 16,400 jobs, by the end of the fiscal year amid a global slump in the semiconductor market.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

18-year sentence urged for slaying of girl

Prosecutors on Monday asked the Tokyo District Court to impose an 18-year prison sentence on a woman charged with killing the 2-year-old daughter of her neighbor.
BUSINESS
Aug 21, 2001

Toyota stays top earner for second year running on strong sales, cost cuts

Toyota Motor Corp. remained the top Japanese earner for the second straight year in fiscal 2000 due to strong domestic and overseas sales of new models and cost cuts, according to a list released Monday by Teikoku Databank.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

Many youths dissatisfied with sex education: study

Nearly 90 percent of young couples surveyed in Tokyo say they are dissatisfied with the sex education they receive at school and elsewhere, and feel adults should not hesitate to teach them how to avoid contracting sexually transmitted diseases, according to a health ministry study.
Events
Aug 21, 2001

Osaka hotel's rooftop garden refreshing in the concrete jungle

OSAKA -- This summer Osaka is living up to its reputation as Japan's hottest city. Temperatures have not fallen under 25 since July 19.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

Courts' shift giving hope to war redress claimants

Kyodo News There is a change in the air as lawsuits filed by Asian victims of Japanese wartime conquest are receiving a more sympathetic hearing, but the government and Diet have been slow to respond.
BUSINESS
Aug 21, 2001

Nikkei hits fresh 17-year low amid U.S., Japanese economic malaise

The benchmark 225-issue Nikkei stock average fell to a new 17-year closing low Monday, reflecting concern over the economies of Japan and the United States.
SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH
Aug 21, 2001

Clowns at the circus of soccer

I was buttering my muffins the other morning when my Australian mate Nezbo called. So obviously I had to tell him how crap the Aussies are at soccer, didn't I?

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji